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Intellectual Cultural Heritage
31
Khon
Khon
is Thai land’s classical , high art form of
performance that dates back to the Ayutthaya era in Thai
history. The French ambassador to the royal court of King
Narai the Great of Ayutthaya, Simon de Lalubère, wrote in
his memoir that
Khon
is a mask dance drama in which the
dancers wear masks and carry weapons while dancing to
the accompaniment of So (Thai fiddle) and other musical
instruments.
Khon
integrates several performing arts: some
elements of the presentation style and costume are taken
from the
Chak Nak Duekdamban
(or “The Churning of the
Sea of Milk”); some acrobatic movements are taken from
Krabi Krabong
; while the art of narration, dialogue narration,
singing, and the Na Phat music (music that accompanies
the performer’s travelling movement), are taken from the
Nang Yai
(grand shadow puppet theatre).
Khon’s
principal
characteristic lies in the practice of wearing a mask -- all of
the
Khon
performers, with the exception of the hero, the
heroine, and the deities, must wear masks. The performance
is accompanied by a lead singer and chorus, a story narrator
and a dialogue narrator.
Khon
depicts the Ramakian story
only (Thai version of the Ramayana epic).
Khon performance has evolved in stages as follows:
1.
Khon Klang Plaeng
-“Open-air Mask Dance
Drama”-is a type of Khon spectacle performed outdoor in
the open-air space, without a stage or platform, and with
the natural surrounding as the backdrop. All the performers
are exclusively men and all characters wear a mask. Battle
scenes from the Ramakian are often depicted in this kind of
Khon
performance, and the characters are divided into two
opposing camps, each one of which takes turn to come out
on stage, and consequently the performance requires two
orchestras. There is no singing part. The performance is
accompanied only by music, with some story narration parts
and dialogue narration parts.
2.
Khon Nang Rao
or alternatively called
Khon
Rong Nok
-“Open-air mask dance drama on stage”-is
performed on an outdoor stage without a bench for the
master of ceremony. Along the length of the stage, in front
of the scenery, a bamboo rail is set up that leaves enough
space for the performers to walk around it. The stage is
usually covered by a roof. Having finished their parts, the
performers will sit on the bamboo rail and wait for their next
cue. The rail represents the benches that are usually set up
on stage for the high-born characters. The court officers,
servants and the monkeys sit on the floor. This kind of
Khon
performance is not accompanied by singing, but there are
story narration and dialogue narration, with the music from
two
Pi Phat
orchestras playing
Na Phat
music.
3.
Khon Na Cho
-“Screen-f ront mask dance
drama”-is a type of
Khon
spectacle performed in front of a
blank, unpainted screen of unbleached cloth that serves as
the backdrop. A door is cut into the fabric on both sides of
the stage. One side of the stage represents the palace in the
mythical Longka capital city, while the other side represents
the military quarters and barracks of Phra Ram (Rama). The
performers go on stage to perform. There are story narration
and dialogue narration, with musical accompaniment from a
Pi Phat orchestra.